Comparison of body mass index among patients with versus without angiographic coronary artery disease.

We examined body mass index (BMI) in kilograms divided by height in meters squared in 842 patients who underwent coronary angiography for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) in a 2-month period in 2000 at Baylor University Medical Center. Comparison of the BMI in the 624 patients in whom > or =1 coronary artery was narrowed >50% in diameter to the BMI in the 218 patients with absent or lesser degrees of coronary narrowing disclosed the following: the BMI was >30 (obese) in 209 (33%) versus 92 (42%) patients (p 0.008): 26 to 30 (overweight but not obese) in 233 (37%) versus 80 patients (37%) (p = NS), and BMI < or =25 (ideal) in 182 (29%) versus 46 (21%) patients (p 0.01). Compared with the patients > or =65 years of age, the patients <65 years of age in both groups had a higher frequency of obesity and a lower frequency of ideal body weight. In conclusion, patients with coronary narrowing >50% in diameter were less likely to be obese and more likely to be at ideal body weight than the group of patients with absent or lesser degrees coronary narrowing by angiogram.